METHOD FOR VISUALIZING DATA EXTRACTED FROM A POPULATION OF DATA

• US 20110227927A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Technology Of America, Inc.
• Inventors: Foulks, Marty D., Garmon, Edmon D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,669,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 13/12 Graduation
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 13/22 Pointers, e.g. settable pointer
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

A method for visualizing data in a population of data includes steps of extracting a subject value from a population of data and defining points of interest in the population of data for comparison to the subject value, where the points of interest representing a scale having a minimum value and a maximum value. A target point of interest is selected. The scale is mapped to a graphic gauge display, wherein, points of interest are visually indicated on the graphic display, end points of the graphic gauge display correspond to the minimum value and the maximum value, and the target point of interest is visually indicated at a center of the graphic gauge display. Finally, the subject value is indicated on the graphic gauge display.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing data in a population of data, comprising the steps of:

extracting a subject value from a population of data;

defining points of interest in the population of data for comparison to the subject value, the points of interest representing a scale having a minimum value and a maximum value;

selecting a target point of interest;

mapping the scale to a graphic gauge display;

rendering at least the target point of interest visually indicated at a center of the graphic gauge display, wherein, end points of the graphic gauge display correspond to the minimum value and the maximum value; and

,

visually indicating the subject value on the graphic gauge display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a minimum point of the scale and a maximum point of the scale lie outside the population range.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering defined points of interest visually indicated on the graphic display.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the points of interest are equally distributed on the graphic display between an end point and the center point.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the points of interest are distributed on the graphic display according to relative value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic gauge display is illustrated as an analogue dial and the subject value is illustrated as a needle positioned at a selected angle on the dial.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the target point of interest is illustrated at top center of the dial.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a sweep of the scale represents an angular change from the minimum value to the maximum value and the target point of interest is indicated at a top center of the analogue dial.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein angular change from the minimum value to the top center is unequal to the angular change from the top center to the maximum value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the gauge display is illustrated as a graduated linear scale and the subject value is illustrated as a needle positioned at a linear position.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a sweep of the scale represents a linear distance from the minimum value to the maximum value and the target point of interest is illustrated at a linear center.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a density histogram of the population of data in conjunction with the graphic gauge display.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein frequency in the histogram is represented by color assigned to each frequency.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising visually indicating at least one of the location of the arithmetic mean, the 10^th percentile and the 90^th percentile on the histogram.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing graphic gauge displays visualizing a population of data and a subject value created at successive points in time, and displaying a series of said displays in sequence to animate a change over time in said subject value.